Medicine: Out for Blood

The Department of Defense and the American Red Cross were out for blood
last week. Press, radio, television and posters carried repeated
appeals for blood donors. The fact behind the flurry was that U.S.
armed forces are running short of blood and plasma. "We have enough
whole blood on hand for about one week of heavy fighting," said an Army
medic in Tokyo.

When the Korea fighting was at its worst last winter, U.S. civilians
gave blood at the rate of 25,000 pints a week. During the summer, the
rate dropped below 10,000. Two things have given the public the wrong
idea...